Mercury retrograde is HERE, and yes you should be worried
Oh that’s right. It’s baaaaack! Mercury is throwing it into reverse once again come December 19th, and we have to get ready. We haven’t had to deal with retrograde since the end of September, so for the most part, things have been back to normal since then. But as of right now, you might be feeling a bit off. Perhaps your plans have been cancelled one too many times. Maybe you’ve recently been involved in a fight with your BFF. That’s Mercury retrograde knocking on your front door. She’s back and she’s not playing nicely.
The true reason you should be worried about this Mercury retrograde cycle is because it’s happening in the middle of the holiday season. While you’re already stressed out about having to buy gifts for everyone; plan family get-togethers; decorate trees, houses, cookies, etc., the added issue of fuzzy communication is not in any way an added bonus.
Just when you think 2016 can’t get any worse, right?
This retrograde will last from December 19th to the 31st, so at least we’re starting 2017 off with a clean slate. But if you’re well versed in cosmic occurrences, then you know that two weeks before and two weeks after the retrograde, we experience the retroshade. What does that mean? The negative effects of Mercury retrograde can actually be felt two weeks before and two weeks after the official retrograde begins and ends.
So maybe we won’t be starting 2017 with that clean of a slate. Sorry…
But perhaps you can magically trick your mind into not believing that the Mercury retrograde is happening, therefore bypassing this whole dark age. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the retrograde is actually just an optical illusion. The Almanac explains, “Sometimes the other planets appear to be traveling backward through the zodiac; this is an illusion. We call this illusion retrograde motion.“
It continues, “Several times a year, it appears as if Mercury is going backwards. This time was traditionally associated with confusions, delay, and frustration.” Mercury is the ruling planet of communication, hence the retrograde affecting plans and travel.
But if your mind can’t get out of the retrograde gutter, then perhaps it’s best to simply take a deep breath and deal with Mercury head-on. Pencil in extra time for traveling during the holidays. Don’t pick fights where you don’t have to.
Gather your good friends together to sip on some hot chocolate, swap gifts, and commiserate about how the retrograde is making each of your lives harder than it has to be.
The upside — it’s the same as the downside, TBH. It’s the holidays, so even if you’re stressed, you’ll also be around those you love and you’ll be celebrating! Come December 31st — even though we’ll still be in retroshade — feel free to whoop it up (responsibly) to send the retrograde off to bother some other planet.
